Christmas Tree Recycling

Green Waste: Since 1989, the Sanitation Districts has provided green waste recovery at the Scholl Canyon and Calabasas Landfills. Sanitation Districts' landfills shred all separated green wastes for use as alternative daily landfill cover material (ADC) with a portion used as mulch or compost. The Sanitation Districts offers a reduced fee at the landfills for clean loads of green waste. Approximately 80 cities and the County of Los Angeles have separate residential green waste collection programs.

Christmas Trees: As part of green waste recovery, the Sanitation Districts has offered a special Christmas tree recycling event since 1990. The landfills operated by the Sanitation Districts will accept uncontaminated loads of 100% Christmas trees, at no charge, if a city sponsors the collection of trees. For loads to be considered uncontaminated, they must contain only green waste. All plastic containers, metal stands and bars, ornaments, and the bulk of tinsel should be removed from the Christmas trees. Flocked trees or trees coated with a fire retardant are acceptable. The Sanitation Districts accepts, at no charge, loads of 100% Christmas trees from cities that use existing residential green waste collection programs to collect Christmas trees. Individual residents should contact their city's recycling coordinator for information on recycling their Christmas tree. Each year the program is conducted for approximately three weeks following the Christmas holiday. Cities are encouraged to divert all Christmas trees from disposal this year through a city-sponsored green waste recovery program or through a local community-based project.

If you would like more information regarding the Sanitation Districts' Christmas Tree Recycling Program, you may contact Nick Morell at (562) 908-4288, extension 2444, or via email at nmorell@lacsd.org .

The County of Los Angeles(County)has contracted with waste haulers serving the unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County to provide Christmas tree recycling services to residences and multi-residential complexes, and commercial, institutional, and industrial entities. More information on the County's Christmas Tree Recycling program is available by calling '1-888-CleanLA (1-888-253-2652)' and on the web at http://www.888cleanla.com/.

The City of Los Angeles (City) asks that residents recycle their trees by cutting them up and placing them in their green waste container. If they are unable to use their green waste container or cannot cut up their trees to place in the container, they may also recycle their trees by bringing them to one of the drop-off sites operated by the City. Click here for drop-off locations of the City's program as well as more detailed information.